Saturday, February 6, 2010

What If...

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 7; the seventh edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

I am standing in front of a mirror, a mirror of reflective transparency, cruel honesty and naked confessions . I am standing in front of the mirror without masks. We often wear masks to satisfy societal obligations and expectations ..... in the name of Morality ..... and we call it as LIFE. Many unprocessed  and unrefined  thoughts have started streaming out of my brain strata. Is it brain or mind ?  I am  standing in front of the mirror with closed eyes, but still i could sense  the  image reflection. Questions with answers and without answers are popping out, one by one. Can I do erase the imprints of social programming ? What if I really confess.What If I .... ?

Me :  I don’t think I took right decisions. I  just took decisions and made them right.
Mirror : No one can make decisions right. We can just keep on making them till they turn out right.

Me : Were all the failures happened due to lack of work or hard work? Are both the same?
Mirror : Work is to achieve what you want and hard work is when you  don’t enjoy the process. Had you worked much harder?

Me : Why do i try to avoid Failure every time?
Mirror : Because failure makes you feel guilty of the knowledge you already have.

Me : Why do I hate Failure so much? Why Hate? 
Mirror :  Isn't it HATE an emotion which makes you put time, energy and effort towards something which should be just ignored. 
  
Me :  Philosophies made me to think/rethink and thoughts made me to philosophize. Am i becoming philosophical? Am i a tool in the hands of many philosophies?
Mirror : After all Philosophy is a theory and strategy should be your   very own individual way of twisting and turning it to suit your specific practicalities, rather than succumbing to the philosophical and moral obligations. Practically, philosophy can be and should be used to mainly psyche others and sometimes yourself that even your wrong things are also right.

Me : I have come across people, including me, who say everything about philosophy but achieved nothing.
Mirror: Philosophy is about understanding achievement and it does not necessarily make you achieve. You can study a snake’s agility, behaviour and the nature of its poison but you can’t become the snake. 

Me : So, philosophy is a rich man’s time pass.
Mirror: I would say that it is an intelligent man’s time pass and a foolish man’s time out.

Me : Is my rationalistic, agnostic and anthropological approach towards this world making me out of the rat race?
Mirror : Hallucination if found in an individual level is called mental disorder and if found on mass level is called Religion/Consumerism and finally leads to rat race.

Me : Ignorance is a polite word for dumbness and arrogance is a harsh word for intellect.  So, being Ignorant will work in this arrogant world . What say ?
Mirror:  Ignorance is not knowing, dumbness is knowing and not understanding, arrogance is not caring about knowing and intellect is knowing your ignorance. 

Me : Mirror, am i seeking motivation through you ?
Mirror : The real reason of motivation comes from the guilt of being unworthy.
  I would say it comes from a fear of being unworthy.

Me : A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity and an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. Isn't it too idealistic?
Mirror : And an inbetweenist like you sees a difficult opportunity as an opportunistic difficulty. Hahaha... :)

Me : I am totally in chaos regarding my social relations(real and virtual) these days...
Mirror : You are not obligated to someone who likes you. You are  obligated to whom you like.  Think again.

Me : Then again, why don't people understand me  properly ?
Mirror : It’s not their business to understand you. It’s your business to make them understand. 

Me : Sometimes I feel like running away from this Information/ Knowledge obsessed world. Life has become more uncertain.
Mirror : Knowledge is a threat to the body and ignorance is a threat to the mind. A mixture of innocence and danger always creates more terror mainly because of the unexpectedness. That’s the reason most horror films feature women and children as ghosts.

Me : Why I am confused so much these days?
Mirror : That’s because thoughts arise from rational thinking and deeds many times are triggered by emotions and the result of those deeds will again influence the thoughts and thus the cycle of contradictions will keep continuing which will appear as yours and hence more inconsistencies.

Me : Why is belief in Ghosts called superstition and belief in God called faith? 
Mirror : That’s because superstition can be done away with but lack of faith can tear up the very fabric of both you and the society you live in. 

Me : Mostly you have responded when you are negated or when something of brilliance is said and you ignore both praise and abuse.
Mirror: That’s because praise and abuse don’t matter in the larger scheme of things whereas the earlier two add to both  knowledge and thinking.  

Me : But Mirror, aren't you selfish? Your answers reflect so.
Mirror : That’s because I want to live my life completely on my own terms and that’s an ultimate act of selfishness in the purest of its forms. 

Me : Experiencing things through your thought process always makes me believe that there is no absolute truth.
Mirror: Yes. That’s because there’s absolutely no absolute truth. 

Me : All this crap is just  to ask you one Question. What is Success? How can  i become successful?
Mirror : Success is for others and being successful is for yourself.

Me : What if I don't agree with you?
Mirror : Nothing happens except your life goes on with the flavours of Hypocrisy and self deception .

Me : Is it true....?
Mirror : Yes, absolutely true . 

Me : But you said, " There is no absolute truth".
Mirror : Truth is absolute – you just have to arrive at the right evidence with the right interpretation. 

Me : Mirrorrrr.......You are sick.
Mirror : Yes, because I am your imagination .


 Finally when i opened my eyes, there is nothing, neither the mirror nor the image, except some ambiguous answers. Somehow, still, i could sense the mirror.What if ..... ?


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36 comments:

Sureindran said...

a talk with the mirror? interesting and well written!

geeta said...

I too have penned down the post on the same format ie conversation ..but your piece of writing has an intellectual touch and mine is too simple...

Meenakshi said...

I discovered that philosophy served in an attractive platter "does" appeal to me.

Like reading your post. Liked your mirror a lot. Got an answer to a question I asked myself several times, but my mirror is plain dumb and is always silent.
"Me : Why do i try to avoid Failure everytime?
Mirror : Because failure makes you feel guilty of the knowledge you already have."

santosh said...

Ha Ha Ha...
Really very nice, interesting and philosophical one... but I am confused[:p]as which one is better.. Me or Mirrir?

Anonymous said...

Mahesh!!!! I can't stop admiring the post... Philosophy, presented in the right way have the capability to touch the heart in the most perfect fashion and your post has done just that.... I am not saying any more; just that keep writing :-)

Anonymous said...

i have been following your posts since 6months...noticed a lot of change in ur thought process in a positive way with increased maturity...really loved this post...all the best!!!

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Sureindran....

Yeah, ..... its mirror....indeed it is one's reflection with whom the conversation was fabricated...
thanks for the pat :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Geeta ....

Hey buddy...Intellectual post?...Quite abstractive i guess .

Your post is much creative and innovative than my post....
Your post communicates in a better way to the reader comparatively....
One thing for sure ..... Your post is not a simple one ..... I found much hidden philosophy in those unsaid words:)

Thanks anyways .... I will try to write something really intellectual in the near future to live upto your compliment

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Santhosh ..

Confused ??
Stand in front of a mirror and ask this question.... Me or mirror ?

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Meenakshi..

Thankssss a bunchchch....for your words and the pat...I am glad that someone liked the "Mirror Cuisine"

What else a writer can ask if his writings can give atleast one answer to the reader's Questions....

Thanks again :)

PS : I am lacking words to reply to your feedback. Am elated :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Debosmita,

Am elated again and feeling humbled with your reflective response and a complementary feedback .... :)

Am speechless......
Thankssssssss a lotttttttttt for your instinctual words and the encouragement.
I wanna say more and i donnow how....

a Biggggg thanks again :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Anonymous ...

Thanks a million ton for your constant feedback on both wisdomism and me....
I agree with you in toto .... and i call it Evolution to reach self actualisation for which am craving for :)

I will be glad to know your name , if possible ?

thanks again :)

Anonymous said...

Philosophy-intelligent man’s time pass, Your explanation of the terms ignorance,dumbness,arrogance..absolute truth,faith in god...and few other things I shall remember for a long long time!

While reading your post, I many a times wondered if the mirror and the me in the post were really two different people. Well written!

And Like the pictures too :~) The last one is kinda sweet!!

Good work Mahesh!!

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Yemiledu ...

Wow... thats a lifetime compliment for a writer if someone remembers a writer's lines for longgg time...
Thanks for the sweet words and the feedback on the pics :)

Anonymous said...

The Man in the Mirror. Nice take...and quite interesting to read... =)

Nethra said...

Why did you choose to write such a lengthy post??? Since I am running out of time, I will read it completely some other time.
All the best! :)

Nethra said...

By the way, the new template is good. :)

Pushpz said...

Nice philosophical thougths here...feel like copying all on my desk top for those rainy days,,specially this one
"Ignorance is not knowing, dumbness is knowing and not understanding, arrogance is not caring about knowing and intellect is knowing your ignorance."
Likey likey!!! :))

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Pushpee

Thanks for your response ... and am privileged when u said that u liked those lines to copy :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Psych Babbler

Thanks for the pat :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Nethra ...

Lengthy ?...yeah...it is...What can i do buddy....i have omitted 3 paras already....but still couldnt dare trimming further...

anyways am looking forward for ur take on this post...
Thanks for the feedback on template :)

Just Another Life said...

philosophy rox!

MADHU RAO | (INDImag.COM) said...

That's philosophy at it's best. Loved it. A very night introspective and thoughtful post..

swayambhu said...

I don't agree with one bit....the truth part. I think what we perceive as truth depends on the amount of information/access to information/knowledge that we have at our disposal at any given point of time. "Truth" itself is dependent upon the information asymmetry that exists. And I do not believe there can be an absolute truth....or that anything can be "absolute" at all.

Great post, though!! nicely presented!

Mural! said...

Very hot stuff!

I was at sea in the beginning but slowly got hooked up and somehow completed reading the post! believe me thats a very big achievement, I tend to stay away from philosophical thoughts! not good for my health, but your post came as a breath of fresh air.
Kudos! Very well written and the conversation was well......lucid!

Karthik said...

Wow! Some interesting questions with interesting answers. Introspection solves problems most of the times, eh?

The West Wind said...

Innovative way to deal with things.. A conversation with oneself is very crucial.. Nice post!!

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ West Wind...

Thanks for the feedback and the encouraging pat :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Karthik ...

yeah..... retrospective introspection do helps in lots of ways... :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Murali ...

Thanks a bunch for your time on such a lengthy post ....as well as for your words.... am glad that my post did made an interesting read for you ...... thanks again :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Swayambhu ....

Thanks for your analysis and responsive feedback...am glad that you have raised a very rational point of validity .

You are correct in saying so.....i do agree with you ...because i also said " There is no absolute truth"....

"..Truth is absolute – you just have to arrive at the right evidence with the right interpretation..." (it is nothing but relative .... absolute relativity)

I mean to say that we are saying the same thing in different aspects...

Thanks for the pat :)

Mahesh Aadhya Kalal said...

@ Madhu Rao ...
@ Just another life ...

Thanks a bunch for your feedback :)

Shruti said...

Hi mahesh! Sorry for being late! Actually, I was reading all posts in order.. So couldn catch this beautiful post soon! This is the frst philosophical post in this topic!!Absolutely fantasic :)
All the best :)

Megha said...

Nice, specially about the ignorance & motivation. What i didnt understand is Knowledge is a threat to the body ? How come ?

"That’s the reason most horror films feature women and children as ghosts." - huh ?? why do guys think woman are unpredictable ?

Anonymous said...

Thats a very interesting thought...What made u ask these qns?
It was a good read..

Unknown said...

A very interesting duo you chose mahesh....a good concept altogether.....there r few questions tat i use to ask my self....? i think am somewhere near the ans.....thank you mahesh.....you r indeed a best writer.........